Trunk-lid lifter and fastener.



B. WEBER.

TRUNK LID LIFTER AND FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED AueJ. 1914.

1,145,638. Patented July 6,1915.

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BENJAMIN WEBER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TRUNK-LID LIFTER AND FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed August 7, 1914. Serial No. 855,600.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN Nessa, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk-Lid Lifters and Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trunk lid lifters and fasteners.

In this device a well known spring-catch on the box engages a lug on the lid.

Therefore one object of the present nvention is to provide an improved rocking lid-lifter for the trunk-lid that will cause the said old sprin -catch on the box to disen age from the old lug on the lid.

he invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which;-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of about one half of an ordinary traveling. trunk, and shows one of my improved lid-lifters. Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of the improved device on a larger scale than that shown in Fig. 1; in this view the rocking lid-lifter is shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-45 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the center line of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a front view of the base-plate that is to be attached to the trunk-lid. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the base-plate for the trunk-lid, on the line G-6 of Fig. 5, lookin upward. Fig. 7 is a view of the rocking lid-lifter from the rear side that contacts with the base-plate. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the rocking lidlifter.

The letter A, designates the front vertical wall of the lid of a trunk or chest, and B, the front vertical wall of the box or body of such trunk.

A well-known spring-pressed catch 9, is in the form of a loop and is carried on the upper free end of a frame 10, whose lower end has a cross-bar 11, that is pivoted in hearings 12, on a base-plate 13, that is to be attached to the box or body-part B, of a trunk. The upper end of the frame 10, is thus capable of swinging outwardly or away from the front of the trunk, and swinging back a ain to contact with the base-plate 13. he pivoted bar 11, on which the frame 10, swings has a projecting lug 14, that contacts with a plate spring 15, inclosed in a curved convex box 16, that is part of the said base-plate 13. The spring 15, presses on the lug 14, and thereby causes the loop catch 9, at the upper part of the frame 10 to be pressed toward the latch-lug 17, on the base-plate of the trunk-lid. The numeral 18, designates the base-plate of the parts that go on the trunk lid A; this plate has holes 19, to receive screws or nails 20. that attach it to the front vertical wall of the trunk-lid; this plate at its lower edge has two downward prongs 21, that enter pockets 22, on the base-plate 13, attached to the trunk-box. At the lower and central part this base-plate of the trunk-lid has the said latch-lug 17, with which the springpressed catch 9, of the trunk-box engages.

All the foregoing described parts are old and well-known, and therefore no claim is herein made to them separately. My improvement comprises two loop-keepers 23, which are on the front of the base-plate. and it is with these loops that the lid-lifter .21, is looselv jointed in a way that permits it to rock. he base-plate also has at its front a rigid bracket .25, that serves a purpose that will be described presently. The trunk lidlifter 24, is immediately under said rigid bracket 25 and has a bulging front or convex shell shape, and interiorly is provided with two hooks 26, which engage with the two loops or keepers 23, on the base-plate; this means of connecting the convex lidlifter 21, with the base-plate 1S, permits the lid-lifter to have a rocking movement independent of said plate, which movement enables a desired result to be obtained; this result will be presently explained. The rocking lid-lifter is also provided on the interior of its shell with two downward-projeeting fingers 27, which are separated from each other by a space 28; see Fig. 7; said space all'ords room for the centrally-placed latch-lug 17, which is rigid on the baseplate 18, and the said two fingers 27, on the rocking lid-lifter take position at opposite sides of said latch-lug. These two lingers on the rocking lid-lifter take under the loop-shaped catch 9, on the swinging frame 10, that is pivoted at 11, on the trunk-box, and when the convex shell 24, is rocked by a persons hand the said fingers 27, attached to the shell will disengage the catch 9, from the lug 17.

\Vhen the trunk-lid is closed the latch-lug 17, on the lid will be engaged by the loop shaped catch 9, on the box-part of the trunk, and this device will hold the lid in its closed position. It is obvious a trunk may be provided with more than one of these lid fastenors.

\Vhen it is desired to raise the trunk-lid A, a person standing in front of the trunk will place the ends of his fingers of one hand, under the lower edge of the convex shell 24, and press upwardly; this will cause the bottom of said shell to make a slight outward tilting or rocking movement, as indicated by broken lines in Figs. 3 and S, with the result that the two down-projecting fingers 27, on said shell will force the catch 9, from its cn 'agement on the latch-lug 17, and at once the persons fingers by pressing upward on the shell, may lift the trunk-lid to its open position. \Vhen thus raising the trunk-lid the outer top part of the convex shell 24:, will contact with the rigid bracket 25, immediately above it and the latter will relieve the hooks 26, of the strain caused by said pressing upward.

When it is desired to lower the lid A, to its closed position the tapered lug 17, on the lid will slip between the spring-pressed catch 9, and the base-plate 13, and thereby the said catch will automatically engage the lug, and hold the lid closed.

It is to be understood this improved device may be applied to trunks, chests and anv box-like receptacles having a hinged lid.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim is,-

1. In a trunk-lid litter and fastener wherein a spring-pressed loop-catch 9, attached to a trunk-box engages a lug 17, attached to the trunk-lid, the combination with said parts of loop-keepers 23, adjacent the said lug on the trunk-lid; a lid-lifter provided with curved hooks 26, to engage said loop-keepers so as to afford a rocking movement of the lid-lifter; and fingers 27, on said lid-lifter to take under and disengage the said spring-pressed catch from the said lug when the lid-lifter makes a rocking movement.

2. A device for fastening trunk-lids to trunk-boxes, consisting of a base-plate for a trunk-box said plate carrying a. springpressed catch 9; a base-plate for a trunk-lid said plate having a latch-lug 17, with which the said catch engages, in combination with a bracket 25, rigidly attached to the front of said trunk-lid base-plate; a convex lidlifter loosel attached to the baseplate immediately elow said rigid bracket and capable of a rocking movement and contacting with the said bracket above it when the trunk-lid is being raised, and means on the said lid-lifter that disengages the said catch from the lug when the lid-lifter rocks.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

BENJAMIN WEBER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, Jr., MALCOLM F. GANNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

